The John F. Kennedy Magnet School dedicated its new 12’ x 19’ greenhouse on Tuesday, June 11, after nearly a year of effort. The greenhouse is part of a larger initiative related to the school’s nutrition garden, a concept developed nearly five years ago after the death of Markell Smith, Jr., a JFK student. The JFK faculty promised his parents that the school’s atrium space would be used to develop a garden in his memory. Today, the garden complex, which includes four raised flower/vegetable beds in addition to the greenhouse, is a significant component of the Port Chester School District efforts to support nutritional and dietary awareness among its nearly 4,400 students. Building the greenhouse required the support of a range of people from both inside and outside the schools. Led by MaryEllen Onofrio and later Karla Purcell, both JFK Science Lab Coordinators, the school secured the support of a master gardener from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County. Construction and other support has come from Ray Renda, the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds and Assistant Superintendent Frank Fanelli. Tamarack Tower, Verizon, and IBM have donated a total of $36,000 toward the purchase of the greenhouse. Port Chester builder/developer Lou Larizza of Lazz Development Corporation donated approximately $20,000 in services and materials to construct the greenhouse foundation. The Reverend Bruce Baker and Hudson River Presbytery also provided financial support for this project and Fuller and D'Angelo, Architects, donated their services. In all, the school has raised nearly $70,000 for the greenhouse project. The garden and greenhouse are used both for classroom lessons and for after school programs. Currently, students are planting spring vegetables and herbs and tending to the perennials in the raised beds. Both Stone Barns and The Jacob Burns Film Center are working with JFK to support an after school program designed to address Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through a Verizon Foundation after school grant. The focus of this project addresses ways to get students to eat healthier foods through a program that features agriculture and gardening, life science, nutrition, STEM, and visual literacy.
